After the Storm
by GladiatorFan
Summary: Post Season 3 Mid-Season Finally. Fitz decides to finally put his responsibility as POTUS before his personal life. Olivia received some startling news but decides to keep it to herself, at least for as long as she can. Everyone else is trying to find some peace with their actions.
1. Chapter 1: The Fall-Out

**CHAPTER 1: THE FALLOUT**

About a month after they all participated in the escape and of a terrorist, her mother. They were all reeling from the realization that they participated is her release and worked tirelessly to locate her.

So much had happened no one spoke of the possible implications of their actions; it was too much for them to handle. So instead of communicating to each other their feelings about what is known as their "greatest failure" they just continued to work.

Olivia herself had been extremely busy trying to repair the damage done. She wasn't concerned about her relationship with her father, she just wanted to find her mother and lock her away for her crimes. She wanted to restore herself and her teams as "Gladiators" which she currently felt they were not. She wanted to wear "The White Hat" again. Her team searched endlessly to find her mother looking everywhere overseas. The only problem with that was her mother was right in their back yard, closer that she ever imagine.

He had not spoken to her since that night. He was upset with her. Who could blame him? He had just committed a crime against the country he swore to protect. He thinks to himself, The President _of the United States, indicted on charges of Treason, WOW, how did he get here?_ And, it was not the first time it had happened. The first time was with "Defiance", he had no idea what took place until much later, he had forgiven her after months of torment for the both of them. But this time he was fully aware and he could not forgive himself for his actions and neither her. How could he allow this to happen? How could he let his feeling for a woman control him so much.

At this realization he decided he could not continue his relationship with her. He could not do his job as long as he was with her. He has an obligation to the American people that had to be placed before himself and her. He remembers his wife's comment about Olivia being his achilles heel, his greatest weakness. He could not afford to make another mistake like that. So he decided he had no choice but to let her go AGAIN. Maybe for good or at least until after his term is over. He then thought to himself _what if she doesn't want me after my term is over_, he could not hold onto that thought he had to do what was best for the country.

With that he calls her, she answers with her usual I'm busy tone that she gives when she's busy or annoyed or even both.

"What!" she answers.

"Hi" he says,

Of course she replies "Hi"

After a moment of silence and they are in sync again

He's the first to speak, "I need to see you"

She sighs, "Now is not a good …." But before she finishes,

he continues "I will be there at 11"

When she attempts a rebuttal "That's not …."

In a sternly raised voice he tells her "this is not debatable Olivia!"

After a brief moment of silence he continues "I will see you at 11"

and with that he hung up.

And at 11 o'clock on the dot he shows up with Tom and another agent flanking his left and right. Expecting his visit, Olivia opens her door after the first knock. She steps back and allows him to enter quickly and closes the door behind him. She looks at him and recognizes that he seems rushed and agitated. He's pacing, so something must me wrong, and really wrong because she knows anytime he's with her he is always calm, unless something's wrong. And with that, she reaches out to grasp his arm to stop him from pacing. She looks him in his eyes and asks him "What's the matter?" He looks at her, with a tormented gaze. He really doesn't want to do this, the thought of doing this hurts his heart and he knows it will break hers. But he knows things can't continue.

He moves in quickly to her, so quickly that there was little time for her to react. In a moment of desperation he kisses her until he needs to come up for air. She returns the kiss with the same level of intensity. And when he pulls back just enough to leave their forehead touching she is stunned, confused, and concerned. She is looking at him, waiting for him to say something, anything, because she knows whatever it is, its something that he is battling with telling her and it must greatly impact their relationship.

"I'm sorry" he says "I'm so sorry" and with that a tear that he had been holding back since he walked though her door. She pulls away to get a better look at him when she sees the tear falling she immediately swipes it away and looks at him seeing his red eyes with unshed tears waiting to fall. Her voice laced with deep concern "What's going on?" she cup is face with both hands, "Whatever it is, we can work through it" and that it, the dam breaks, one, two, three tears continue to fall. He looks at her willing her to understand without him having to speak the words but he knows he have to say it because he knows she cannot read his right now. She is really afraid now; her mouth is trembling and tears are threatening to fall "Fitz, please you are scaring me".

He knows he can't drag this out. It's not fair to her. He needs to tell her and leave because he doesn't believe he could stand leaving her when she starts crying. As she releases his face from her palms "Fitz…just tell me" and he begins "Olivia…." He pauses and begin again Olivia….I" pause "We can't…We can't" pause, he puts his head down because he can look her in the eyes and tell her what he has come to tell her. After taking a deep breath, he pushes forward, grabbing both her hands into his and bring them to his mouth, kissing them, tears still falling. A look of terror on her face and she begins to understand what he might be getting ready to tell her. But she can't believe it.

He pulls her hands away from his mouth but doesn't release them. He barrels ahead in attempt to get it all out before his is struck silent unable to finish "Olivia we have to stop seeing each other. I can't uphold my responsibilities and continue this relationship with you. You know I love you but I can't…we can't. I thought about this long and hard and this is the only option I have. We have to end things. At least until after my term in office is over. And I know I have no right to ask this of you, but if you wait for me I will withdraw my petition for reelection. But until then I will not be able to continue this.

All the while he is speaking she is looking at him with tears falling from her own eyes. She understands the torment he is going through. She knows why he's come to this decision. When he finally looks at her and sees her tears he knows her hurt is caused by him he is so sorry but he cannot deny that this is the best decision that could be made, for the both of them. "Liv…..Livie please" but it her turn he has said all that needs to be said and she doesn't want to hear anymore from him. "Fitz…..please leave" it comes out quietly, like she has barley even spoken, she broken, like a little kid who has lost everything. She realizes that she has just lost everything, he is her everything, her chest is tightening, it's becoming difficult to breath. She releases a breath sounding like a choking breath. She's struggling she doesn't want this to happen but there is no turning back at this point. She tells him in a firmer more confident tone "Fitz I understand your decision, I…I…..I don't know what to say….Just, I need you to go. Just go, please." And with that he looks at her while backing away then head to the door. As he exits, he looks back, wipes his face, and straightens himself out, opens the door and leave.

As soon as he leaves she breaks down, crumble to the floor. The flood gates opened, she cries so much that when she finally stops too weak to move she just lays there in her living room and falls asleep in that same spot. She didn't wake until 4am the next morning. Reflecting back on last night, the moment that she lost everything, the moment he said it was over, the moment he walked out of the door. From all the crying she did the previous night her throat was really dry. She lifted herself from the floor and went to her kitchen to retrieve some water. The tears started to fall as she drank. After she completed the full glass her stomach began to rumble, the nausea was back and the water would not settle. She rushed to the toilet where she expelled the contents that she had just ingested only remembering now that she had forgotten to eat the night before. She can't do that again, she has to take care of herself. It was not only her health she is responsible for; she has a whole other life that is dependent on her and she cannot worry about what she has lost but the life that is dependent on her.


	2. Chapter 2: THE PLAN (PT1)

**CHAPTER 2: THE PLAN ( PT 1)**

**(Flashback: A few weeks ago)** After leaving her doctor's appointment where she found out she would be a mother; the doctor had told Olivia that she was about eight weeks along. With that information she couldn't help but to think back to Vermont, in their home. They had created their first child in the home they are meant to raise their family_. 'How poetic?_' she thought to herself '_if only it was, I can't believe I let this happen'_. She knew how it had happened, with everything going on with finding out about Operation Remington and the President of the United States involvement she had missed her pill a few times but even so, she still had a her IUD. Then her doctor informed her at the visit that her IUD had slipped. Then Olivia thought to herself, _'in all the times how is it that both her birth control would fail at the same damn time' _once she is seated in her car, she screams out "Fuck" and bangs her fists on the steering wheel before falling forward on her steering wheel and let the tears fall. As she pull out of the parking from the doctor's office she tells herself to think positive, she tried but came up with nothing.

Only a few weeks had passed, and all Olivia's concentration was focused on devising a plan that would allow her to keep her child safe. When she was younger she always knew she wanted to be a mother. But with the recent events of finding out that her own mother is a criminal and decided to leave her only child left Olivia conflicted. She couldn't understand how her mother could leave her, hurt her, destroying every ounce of pride that she had left.

Stress had been a regular occurrence in Olivia's life but for the last few months it had increased drastically. After her supposedly dead mother approached her on her way home her stress level went through the roof. After that everything was a blur; Olivia had saved her mother from B6-13 and sent her to safety. Immediately finding out that her mother had lied to her about everything and she was in fact the criminal that Olivia's father was trying to protect her from. Olivia herself was now in all tense and purposes had become a _"traitor to her country"_.

Before finding her mother, she detested her father he was cold, unloving, and dangerous. All she had to be proud of was the legacy her mother had left to her. She thought of her mother as a strong woman and loving parent, while Eli was distant and cold. Not in a million years could she ever imagine that it was her mother with her immoral and illegal actions was the actual destroyer of dreams.

Maya Pope, if that's her real name, first destroyed Olivia's father's ability to trust and love another, which lead him to being the cold soul he is today. Then she went on to destroy Olivia's faith and ability in herself. Olivia asked herself over the last few weeks many question, some of which were _'How could I, being the daughter of a terrorist and a man who trains people to kill, raise a child?', 'What if I damage my child worse that I am?' 'Would it be best that I give this child to some loving family who can give them a normal life?'_

Then she shuts off all of her doubts and remembers what the men who love her most in this world told her on different occasions. Jake once told her 'Olivia, you deserve happiness in your life', and then she remembers Fitz holding her while telling her 'I can't wait until you are carrying my child'. She continues to reflect on that time when he said that it would be the best day of his life, of course next to their wedding day and the birth of said child and before he'd released her from his hold he placed his palm spread wide over her flat abdomen.

After her reflection, Olivia decided that she wanted her child, their child, and she would do anything to protect them. She vowed on that night that she would be the best mother she could be even if it meant giving up her career or even her life. And with that she started strategizing as to how she was going to do this.

In order for this plan to work she needed to contact the two most essential people who would be involved. Both of them loved her beyond reason, she knew this because they both had proven it time and time again. One of which would outright reject her plan but the other she knew he would do it without hesitating. The only problem with that is how much it would hurt one of the most important people in her life. To ask a man who loves you to pretend to be the one thing to that you deny him. This request would hurt him but at this point she has no other choice she has to do what is necessary to protect her child. At around six o'clock in the early morning, Olivia sat in her office preparing to call Jake. It was only a few weeks ago that he had walked out of her life.

Olivia says lowly to herself "ok here goes" she picks up the telephone and dials his number. Jake picks up immediately "Olivia? Is everything ok?"

"Uhm…..good morning, how are you?"

"Good and yourself?" after a brief moment of silence with no response from Olivia "Olivia are you ok? Talk to me"

"Jake… I know I shouldn't be calling you like this, but, I need to see you"

He hears it in her voice, he's heard it before she sound…. sad, small, broken, he can't stand for her to be like this; he knows it takes a lot to break the "Great Olivia Pope". "I'm leaving now….where are you?"

"I'm at the office; you can meet me here if that's ok?"

"It is. Give me about twenty-five minutes" he pauses, "Olivia will you be ok until it get there?" She quickly responds "Yea, I'll be waiting…and Jake, Thank You". With that Jake hangs up the phone and heads out of the door.

Not having to deal with the morning traffic, Jake made it to Olivia's office building in record time. As heads up to her office he meets up with Huck as he is heading to work. "Hey" Jake addresses Huck, without picking his head up he replies "Hey". The both enter the front doors to Olivia Pope and Associates, one behind the other, Jake tailing Huck. While Huck ducks off to his office Jake continues until he reaches Olivia's door. Not wanting to startle her or invade her space he knocks and waits for her to open the door allowing him in.

She looks up at Jake with sad eyes as he passes her. When he turns around he looks her over and thinks to himself '_it's just what I thought, something is very wrong here' _Jake moves in closer to her, he calls to her "Liv?" When she doesn't respond he knows exactly what she needs in this moment, he pulls her into his arms and holds her. He squeezes her and rubs his arms along her back and communicate to her "I got you, whatever you need…I got you".

**AUTHOR NOTES: **

TBC…..

No copy write intended; Character's belong to Shonda Rhimes

This is my first very attempt at writing anything. So please READ & REVIEW it's the only way I will know if I should continue


	3. CHAPTER 3: THE PLAN (PT2)

**CHAPTER 3: THE PLAN ( PT 2)**

After a few minutes of holding Olivia, Jake took her over to the couch and sat with her. As her cries began to lessen he released his hold of her, pulled some napkins from the table and began to wipe the tears from her face. Jake looked Olivia directly in the eyes "Olivia, what's going on?" She was quiet for a moment then proceeded "I need you to do something for me" "What is it?" Olivia went to stand but when Jake started to follow she signaled for him to stay seated. "Jake, I hate having to ask you this but it is too important to leave in anyone elses hands. I trust with my life therefore I trust you with the most important thing to me."

Straightening his back, Jake remained seated but became even more conscious of the potential predicament that she may have found herself in. "Jake, I am approximately eleven weeks pregnant" and with that declaration she waited a minute looking directly into Jakes eyes trying to access his mindset. And then she sees it; first there is complete and utter surprise. When realization hit Jake is speechless, when she gave him the time frame he knew who the father was. Then it was anger, she knew that was coming. But then it was the final emotion she saw in his eyes that completely took her by surprise; it was sorrow. She wasn't sure if it was sorrow for her being in this situation or for the fact that the child wasn't his. Either way she needed his help and she needed to push forward.

Olivia moved over to the couch and took an angled seat almost facing Jake, knees nearly touching. She takes hold of his hand and wraps both her tiny ones around his. "Jake I'm sorry this hurts you, I'm sorry I couldn't love you the way I love him and I'm sorry I didn't meet you first." She gives him a watery smile while wiping the stray tear that is now falling. "My life would be a whole hell of a lot easier if I could have fallen in love with you." He puts his head down because he knows it's the truth, _he thinks damn if I could have come into her life a few years earlier_. As, Jake began to raise his head Olivia takes her hand and places her hand on his face cupping his cheek. She pushes forward with tears mounting, "Jake what I am about to ask you is a horrible request and I am a horrible friend for asking but I am not doing this for me or him. I am doing this for my child and if I had any other options I would not ask but you are the only person I can trust with this." Before proceeding, Olivia began to wipe the tears from her face, emptying the Kleenex box on the table. "Does he know?" She looks at him, surprised by the question and asks "what?" "Does Fitz know about the pregnancy?" "N…No, I haven't told him, but why do you ask?" "Well I'm figuring that you are either asking me to cover something up or maybe, just maybe you are asking me to " but then he stops with his assumptions he doesn't want to dissuade Olivia from her original request. "What were you going to say?" Jake blows out some air from his mouth with a sound of anguish following "it's not important, what's important is you and this child… so Olivia what is it that you need me to do?"

She has put this off long enough "Jake I need you to pretend to be this baby's father… there it is, that's it. Fitz can't be this child's father. The country will crucify it and I cannot do that to my child" She looks up into his eyes taking in a deep breath and lets it out with "Please". But instead of answering Olivia Jake comes back with his own question "Are you going to tell him?" With that Olivia pulls her hand back from him "does it matter? I haven't decided really". Jake laughs into a sigh "well of course it matters. It matters to me, if you tell him then I will be playing second fiddle daddy and you know I don't play second to any man. I'm sorry Olivia I want to help you but the only way I can see this working is if you are all in. I care about you Olivia and I don't want you or your child hurt but I see what's going to happen even if you can't see it". Olivia stands and starts to pace "now listen Jake how can you possible tell me I don't see the possible danger in this situation, that is why I am here now asking you to do this I would not be here if I thought any other way". So why are you planning on telling him about the child? Because you and I both know that he will not allow this if he knows the child is his. He will do everything in his power to have you and this child even if it ends up killing the both of you" with that he stood up a walked over to Olivia stopping her in her tracks.

"Olivia look, I am willing to do this but only if everyone believes this child his mine. I am not proposing a relationship between us but I do want to share the responsibilities of this child. It may not be biologically mine but it is yours and I love you and as this child is an extension of you, I love it." He pushes forward after Olivia looks at him "you and I both know if you try to do this any other way it will blow up in our faces". "I know, but how can I deny him? It's his child". "God Olivia, you are right it is his child but, remember you are doing this to protect your child, his child. And yes, it may hurt him but you are a mother now and you have to make the best decisions for your child. Isn't this the reason you wanted to do this in the first place?" "Yes, but I hadn't considered not telling him." "Yes you did, you may not have verbalized it but you did think it. Ask yourself this, why haven't you told him by now you are almost in you second trimester?" with that he gives her a stern look. After the quiet spell passed she quietly says "ok" "What?" is Jakes response, not sure what the ok was for. "Ok I won't tell him, everyone will believe the baby is yours" Jake smiles while tears began to resurface in Olivia's eyes. Jake runs his arms around Olivia's body and holds her tightly "Olivia?" "Yes." With all the excitement an expected father could have, he picks her up and turns her around "we are having a baby". As he places her back on the ground she looks in to his eyes and tells him "Yes we are" then "Jake we have to discuss how we will go from here and … thank you" with that Olivia took a deep breath". "No, thank you Olivia, you are giving me something that I never thought was even possible…..I promise I will be a good father to our child."

**AUTHOR NOTES: **

TBC…..

No copy write intended; Character's belong to Shonda Rhimes

This is my first very attempt at writing anything. So please READ & REVIEW it's the only way I will know if I should continue.


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